Strawberries and Cream Pudding Pops

I've been looking for a treat to have that is not 98% sugar or high fructose corn syrup to have with this pregnancy (because I seem to be craving desserts all of the time!). I found this little gem in one of my favorite cookbooks, Our Best Bites.12 medium strawberries (about 1-3/4 to 2 cups of roughly chopped berries)

2-3 tablespoons of sugar

1 (1-ounce) box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

6 ounces vanilla yogurt (I used strawberry yogurt because that is what I had in the fridge & it worked great)

1 cup milk

-Remove stems from berries and pulse with 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. You should have just over a cup of puree. Set aside.

-In a blender combine pudding mix, yogurt, and milk and blend until combined. Layer or swirl the pudding mixture with the strawberry mixture in popsicle molds anf freeze until solid.

They were delicious and my kids absolutely loved them! Another thing that is great about them is that they don't melt as fast as ice cream or popsicles so they aren't as messy!

Parmesan Chicken Bake

I have tried a bunch of Chicken Parmesan recipes, but have not found one that I like because my the breading on my chicken always gets soggy and gross with the marinara sauce and cheese on top. So when I saw this recipe on pinterest I thought, 'Ingenious! Just don't bread your chicken and bake it instead with croutons on top!' The result was amazing! The croutons were crispy on top and softer on the bottom and it was delicious! And bonus, it was so easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

crushed hot red pepper flakes, to taste (I did not use very much)

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 12 chicken tenderloins and it worked great)

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped basil

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. Parmesan, grated

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Put the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer chicken on the top. Pour the marinara sauce on top and spread around. Sprinkle with the basil. Layer half of the mozzerella cheese and parmesan cheese on top of the marinara. Layer the croutons on top of the cheese. Finish off with the rest of the mozzerella and parmesan cheese on the top. Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (if you use larger chicken breasts, you may need to do a little bit longer.)

Here is the link to the original recipe, he has a video if you want to watch him make it. I followed it pretty much exactly. YUM YUM! http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

Apricot Glazed Pork Chops

I love food!
I especially love good food.
This one hit the spot with it's sweet sauce.

Here's what you'll need:
4 7-ounce boneless pork chops (I cut three of Costco's chops in half lengthwise and had plenty for our family)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive)
1/2 cup apricot nectar (I didn't have any so I put my jarred apricots (drained well) in a blender - I know, it's not the same thing, but it was perfect)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (I used two)
1/3 cup apricot preserves

Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add pork to skillet. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Combine nectar, soy sauce, garlic and preserves in a small bowl; mix well. Pour over pork, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pork is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot over mashed potatoes or rice.

Note: There was so much yummy sauce left over, so I reduced it over high heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken it up a bit. It was delicious poured over our potatoes.

Cranberry Salsa

1 bag fresh cranberries

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

3 tablespoons jarred jalapenos

1 medium granny smith apple, cored
3 tablespoons cilantro

Place above ingredients in a food processor, blend until finely chopped. (I don't own a food processor, so I just used my chopper.) Place in a bowl and add the following:

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/3 cup apple juice

Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

Once you try this it'll become a Christmas tradition.

It's even great on turkey enchiladas.

Chocolate with a hint of Caramel Cream Pie

1 9 inch pie crust, baked according to the directions on the package
5 large marshmallows
4 (1.55 ounce) Hershey's Air Delights Candy Bars
2 (1.6 ounce) Caramelo's Candy Bars
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 can aerosol whipped topping

1. In a microwavable bowl, combine marshmallows, chocolate bars and 1/3 cup cream. Microwave on high, stirring occasionally, until everything is melted and smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, whip remaining cream & vanilla until it is light and fluffy. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spread entire mixture into pie crust; cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight. Spray whip cream on top when serving. Its a little rich but so yummy!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Hooray for cold weather so we can enjoy delicious soups! And let me tell ya, this is one delicious soup! And it is so easy! I got this recipe from my good friend Launi over on her food blog - www.notafoodsnob.blogspot.com. I had leftovers of this soup for breakfast it is that good! (And I have wierd pregnancy cravings.)

2-3 chicken breasts (leftover rotisserie chicken works great!)
2 cups chicken broth
1 can red enchilada sauce (mild, medium or hot depending on how spicy you want it. I always use mild & it's perfect for us!)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 small can diced green chilies
1 tbls. dried onion or 1/4 to 1/2 chopped onion
1 cup cheddar or jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Tortilla chips or strips

-Cook chicken in medium saucepan & shred. Add broth, enchilada sauce, onions, chilies & spices. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the onion rehydrates. Stir in cheese & sour cream until melted & incorporated. Add corn & beans & warm through. Serve with tortilla chips or strips.

I usually like to eat this with tortilla chips & scoop up the soup like a spoon with them. But then I discovered these multi-colored tortilla strips at the store & they are divine on top! Perfect cold weather meal!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

I've been so excited for the cooler temperatures so that I can pull out all the pumpkin recipes I've been dying to try. This is one I've seen all over Pinterest. The original recipe comes from a cookbook called, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms. It is fantastic!

Serves 12ish

For the cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 oz can pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the pumpkin and eggs, mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix until combined. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans.
Prepare the topping: In a small bowl combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, melted butter and your nut of choice. Sprinkle over your batter in both pans. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes or so before serving. Feel free to make a glaze for the top. It's not really necessary, but it sure does look prettier that way.

So good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

A little slice of Heaven! The cake is super moist, frosting is perfectly creamy, and ganache is out of this world. A perfect cake to celebrate Hayden's eight birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYD!Recipe from SmittenKitchen
It makes a 3 layer cake, but I made one layer special for Tyler with no peanut butter frosting.

For the cake:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add in the oil and sour cream and whisk well. Slowly whisk in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. You will have some strong arms.....
Divide batter into the three prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let them cool completely. These cakes are super moist and soft. I froze them for 30 minutes or so before I frosted them.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temp.
1 stick of real butter, at room temp.
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add in the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

To frost the cake, place about 2/3 cup of frosting between each layer and then spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides. I did a really thin coat first, froze it for 10 minutes then did a second layer with the remaining frosting. Place it in the refrigerator while you make the ganache.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Stir together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and syrup. Microwave the cream just until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Quickly pour it over the chocolate chips and immediately cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir vigorously to combine. Pour over your chilled cake. Let drip over the sides of the cake. My drips turned out kinda ugly, so I ended up spreading it evenly around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Royal Raspberry Cake

Thanks to eat8020.com I came across this DELICIOUS Raspberry Cake recipe! 

It's easy to make and SO YUMMY!!!

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
3 cups fresh raspberries

GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together butter, egg, sugar, vanilla and milk. In a separate bowl add flour, salt, and baking powder. Spoon dry ingredients into wet and mix until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spray a cheesecake pan (a round pan with removable sides- a 13x9" cake pan will work as well) lightly with baking spray. Spoon batter into pan and cover the top of the cake evenly with raspberries.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (somewhat dependent on pan), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, whisk together GLAZE ingredients. When cake is removed from oven, gently brush the warm cake with glaze (I removed the sides of my cheesecake pan to brush the sides of the cake as well). Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve!

Zucchini-Feta Pancakes Topped With Sour Cream

You know, there are some foods that I just can't make when my husband is home. And seeing that these are called pancakes and yet are nothing like the traditional pancake, I knew there would be no way he'd be interested in eating them. So, Genevieve and I made them for lunch. Just the two of us. She made sure to let me know that we needed to save some for the boys, but half way through eating her first one, she stated that the boys didn't need any. She loved them and so did I. We halved the recipe and ate them all. Delicious!

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma's Cooking from the Farmer's Market

Here's what you'll need:

4 cups grated zucchini

salt and pepper

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

4 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint (I omitted this)

olive oil for frying

Sour cream for serving

Put the zucchini in a strainer set over a bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt. In another bowl, stir together the zucchini, feta, egg yolks, green onions, parsley, and mint. Stir in the flour mixture. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the zucchini mixture.

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Drop 4 spoonfuls of batter into the pan and fry the pancakes until crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Keep warm while cooking remaining pancakes. Serve topped with sour cream. The melted feta really makes them delicious. Enjoy!

Remy's Ratatoulle

Have you ever watched Disney's Ratatouilee and really wanted to eat the Ratatouille he makes in the end? Well I don't know if I am wierd or not but it just looks so good to me! So a while back when I got an eggplant in my Bountiful Basket, I tried it & I loved it!! I googled the recipe, found the one I liked the best, added a few of my own elements & went to town. So here is my modified version. (The original version is from www.smittenkitchen.com)

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup tomato puree

1 small eggplant

1 smallish yellow zucchini squash

1 smallish zucchini

1 longish red bell pepper

1/2 tsp. Thyme

1/2 tsp. Basil

2 garlic cloved, very thinly sliced or minced (I like mine minced)

2 tbls. olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Italian blend cheese

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour tomato puree into bottom of an oval baking dish. (I don't see why this wouldn't work with a square or rectangular dish if you don't have an oval one.) Stir in garlic, onion, one tbls. olive oil and seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste.

Slice all vegetables into thin slices and arrange concentrically on top of tomato mixture. (For really big pieces, most of the eggplant, I cut them in half so they would fit better.)

Drizzle remaining olve oil over vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of cheese on top and a few sprinkles of thyme.

Cover dish with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside.

Bake approx. 30 to 35 minutes to where the veggies are cooked but not totally limp. The tomato sauce should be bubbling up around the veggies. I like to put a little more cheese on the top of mine after I serve it, because I LOVE cheese!!

I was going to be all fancy & make my own garlic bread, but got lazy & just threw some frozen stuff in the oven. We had this last night with some breaded chicken strips & it was so very yummy!!!

Peanut Candy Bar Treats

One of my favorite candy bars are paydays. I love the sweet and salty combo. I think that's why I love these treats so much, they taste a lot like a payday.

I have always made them with peanuts and peanut butter chips, but I've also made a batch with cashews and butterscotch chips for Tyler who can't have peanuts. They were so good! I'm not sure I can pick a favorite. I guess you'll just have to try them both ways.

1 box of yellow cake mix
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine, divided
1 egg
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups rice crispy cereal
3 cups salted peanuts or salted cashews

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, 1/3 cup melted butter and egg in a medium bowl. Press mixture into an ungreased 9x12 glass baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle on your marshmallows and bake for another 10 minutes or until marshmallows are all puffy. Let cool.

Combine corn syrup, remaining butter and peanut butter chips in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted, about 5 minutes. Stir in your vanilla. Add the cereal and peanuts, mix well. Spread over slightly cooled marshmallows. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Delicious!

Surprise Cookies

Surprise Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies  (I used store bought frosting)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
   
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
   
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
   
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.
   
   (From marthastewart.com)
   

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Yum.

If your looking for an easy, light salad for a summer get together, this is it! It is one of our favorites!

1 pkg. Broccoli slaw (found by the bagged salad in the produce section)

2 or 3 stalks of green onions, chopped

sunflower seeds

sliced almonds

2 pkgs. chicken flavored Ramen noodles (it has to be the chicken, I tried the beef flavored once & it was awful!)

crasins

Dressing

2 chicken seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles

1/3 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

*Smash the Ramen Noodles, them mix with the broccoli slaw. Sprinkle the green onions, sunflower seeds, almonds & crasins onto the Broccoli slaw & mix together. Now I know there are no exact measurements for those last three ingredients, it's because some people like their salad stuffed (me) while others would prefer the taste of the Broccoli slaw to be the main thing (my hubby). So add the ingredients slowly until you find your perfect combination. Set aside.

*In a separate bowl, mix the chicken seasoning, vinegar, sugar & oil together. Pour the dressing mixture slowly over the noodle mixture. BE CAREFUL not to dump the entire dressing mixture on all at once, I don't like my salad drenched so I add it slowly while mixing just until it's coated. Most of the time I don't use all of the dressing. Mix well & serve immediately.

DELIGHTFUL!!

Double-Decker Fudge

Double-Decker Fudge

1 cup REESE'S® Peanut Butter Chips

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S MINI CHIPS Semi-Sweet Chocolate

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line 8-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Measure peanut butter chips into one medium bowl and chocolate chips into second medium bowl. In heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Immediately stir 1/2 of hot mixture (1 1/2 cups) into peanut butter chips until chips are completely melted; quickly pour into prepared pan. Stir remaining 1/2 of hot mixture into chocolate chips until chips are completely melted. Quickly spread over top of peanut butter layer. Cool; refrigerate 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan; place on cutting board. Peel off foil; cut into 1-inch squares. Store tightly covered in refrigerator.

Makes about 5 dozen pieces or about 2 pounds candy

Peanut Butter Fudge: Omit chocolate chips; place 1 2/3 cups (10-ounce package) Reese's® Peanut Butter Chips in large bowl. Cook fudge mixture as directed above; add to chips, stirring until chips are completely melted. Pour into prepared pan; cool to room temperature.